Taken in Maine in 2006. Fiona was 7 months old and this was her first winter. I wanted to capture her reaction to walking in snow for the first time so, as she hesitated on the porch, I walked ahead into the yard and called her. I love the look on her face after those first brave steps: pure wild wonder and amazement.

We had a friend who knew we were looking for a kitten to be a pal for our cat Abbie, so when her Snow Bob/Desert Lynx cat was pregnant, she called us. The breed is known for huge polydactyl (extra toes) paws and very short tails. We told her no, sorry, we wanted a "normal" tailed cat, and we wanted a female. When a little girl kitten popped out with a very long tail (the only tail in the litter), our friend called us and we immediately said we'd take her, and Dan named her "Fiona Thistledown". So from the day she was born she was called "Fiona".

She slept right up against me at night, and in the morning I would wake up and look at her, all sprawled out on her back next to me, and it always made me smile. She made us laugh with her crazy kitten antics, (Abbie found her terribly undignified) and she was such a comfort to me after Dan died.

On May 11 she didn't come in for the night. I put posters up everywhere, notified the local vets, and roamed the woods for weeks calling her. I was surprised to find I had some heart left to break. I still call her, just in case she's out there somewhere. I can't help it. I've heard stories of cats coming home after being gone for years, so I suppose I'll be calling her for some time to come.

Photo © 2008 Jean Fogelberg. Use with permission only.